September 2022

Primary care clinicians are uniquely situated to provide holistic contraceptive care. This article addresses emergency contraception, fertility awareness methods of contraception, long-acting reversible contraception, and contraception options for transgender people with a…

A detailed history and physical examination can distinguish between key features of benign primary headaches and concerning symptoms that warrant further evaluation for a secondary headache. Among primary headache disorders, tension-type is the most common, although migraine…

Malaria causes an estimated 500,000 deaths annually worldwide, with an estimated 2,000 cases occurring each year in the United States. All febrile travelers who have recently returned from a malarious area should be evaluated for malaria.

Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count less than 150 × 103 per μL and can occur from decreased platelet production, increased destruction, splenic sequestration, or dilution or clumping. Although thrombocytopenia is classically associated with bleeding, there are…

Evaluation of chronic constipation should distinguish primary from secondary constipation. First-line treatment for primary constipation includes fluid intake, dietary fiber, and osmotic laxatives. Second-line therapy includes a brief trial of stimulant laxatives followed by…

Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection is asymptomatic and not contagious, but without treatment it can progress to active TB disease. Individuals with symptoms of TB disease and those at increased risk of latent TB infection should be screened. This article discusses screening…

Primary care clinicians are an important source of reproductive health care for their patients. Knowledge of contraception methods is essential to informed patient-centered decision-making about contraceptive options.

The U.S. health care system’s focus on high-tech procedures and the latest pharmaceutical treatments is straining health budgets and worsening outcomes. The 10 leading causes of death in the United States can be directly impacted by lifestyle interventions.

Learn more about the risk of infection with intravenous iron infusion.

Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal’s content, written by and for family physicians.

Antihistamine/analgesic/decongestant combinations have some general benefit in adults and older children. However, these benefits must be weighed against the risk of adverse effects. There is no evidence of effectiveness in young children.

Compared with placebo, lamotrigine reduces the recurrence of manic symptoms at one year and the need for additional psychotropics necessitated by worsening clinical symptoms. The adverse effect profile of lamotrigine is similar to that of placebo.

A collaboration between AFP and the Lown Institute promotes a vision of delivering health care that is based on the evidence, balanced in its approach, and focused on the patient.

Legalization of recreational cannabis is associated with an increase in cannabis-related visits to the ED, especially in patients younger than 29 years.

Compared with oral fluconazole, ibrexafungerp is a significantly more expensive treatment option for adolescent, adult, and postmenarchal patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis and has not been shown to be more effective to date.

The decision to initiate low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD in adults aged 40 to 59 years who have a 10% or greater 10-year CVD risk should be an individual one. The USPSTF recommends against initiating low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD…

This PPIP quiz is based on the recommendations of the USPSTF.

A six-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a rash and fever three months after completing treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis.

An 81-year-old man presented with a wound above the medial malleolus, with surrounding erythema and pitting edema.

Procalcitonin testing offers physicians a way to limit antibiotic therapy to adult inpatients with bacterial lower respiratory tract infection who are most likely to benefit. Using procalcitonin levels to aid decision-making for discontinuation of antibiotics in patients with…

How can signs, symptoms, and urine dipstick testing best be used for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in women?

POEMs

POEMs

POEMs

POEMs

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has new recommendations for predicting and preventing preterm birth.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published updated guidelines focused solely on medical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Letter

Reply: Shiv Dallas, Michael Rausch, Rick Kellerman

A platelet is a kind of blood cell. Platelets help your blood to clot after an injury, like when you scrape your knee. These clots help you stop bleeding.

Constipation is when you feel like you are not able to have a complete bowel movement. You can also have hard stool, stomach pain, bloating, or swelling.